In the eyes of Saint-Laurent Borough Mayor Alan DeSousa, the competition represented an outstanding means of making an informed choice based on the study and comparison of several concrete proposals. Following a public call for applications, four design firms were selected and contracted to submit redevelopment concepts. The winner of the competition was Schème Consultants Inc., which viewed the redevelopment of the boulevard as inextricably linked to the principles of sustainable development and green urban design.
One of the strengths of Schème’s concept was its comprehensive approach to sustainable development, based on increased vegetation, repairing instead of replacing the existing concrete paving stones, and recycling street furniture. This approach was exceptionally well suited to the environmental commitment adopted by Saint-Laurent in 2004, and in keeping with the three major development avenues identified in the Décarie branding study done in 2005. The redevelopment work was completed in late 2007.
